Apex Legends to Introduce Legend Banning and New Ranked Tiers in Major Update

Apex Legends is set to undergo a significant competitive overhaul across the next two seasons, with the developers outlining a roadmap that brings major changes to Ranked play, starting this November. According to the official Apex Legends roadmap update, these adjustments are intended to ensure the mode remains the most competitive environment for players, while introducing new ways to showcase achievements.

Legend Banning for Diamond+ Matches

Starting in Season 31, high-tier matches involving Diamond players and above will feature a new Legend Banning system. This feature aims to shake up dominant meta compositions and keep the high-level experience feeling fresh. During the pre-match flow, players will vote for Legends they wish to see banned. The system calculates a percentage chance for each Legend based on total votes, then randomly selects the bans based on those odds. This ensures that the most popular choices have a higher likelihood of removal without relying on a static, guaranteed ban system.

Ranked Progression Overhaul

Looking ahead to Season 32, which is slated for early 2027, the developers have confirmed plans to expand the current ranking structure. Players can expect the addition of new tiers, specifically Iron, Emerald, and Grandmaster. These additions come alongside broader changes designed to address scoring adjustments for matches with wide skill gaps and a complete revamp of the rewards system. Additionally, the developers have announced the creation of a new Pro-Am League to further bolster the competitive ecosystem.

Why it matters

For the player base, these changes represent the biggest shift in competitive play in recent memory. If you are a high-tier climber reaching Diamond status, you will need to adapt your character pool quickly to account for the new banning mechanics, as your “main” may no longer be available in every match. The addition of new ranks like Iron, Emerald, and Grandmaster suggests a restructuring of how skill distribution is handled, potentially offering more meaningful progression milestones for players outside of the traditional rank brackets.

Beyond these specific features, the roadmap notes that UI clarity improvements are coming to help players better navigate these complex changes. With further updates promised as the game approaches Season 32, players should keep a close eye on their in-game competitive hub to see how these rank transitions affect their current standings.